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The pulse of the freight market

Photo credit: Jim Allen/FreightWaves

It is difficult to keep track of all the outstanding content published on Freighwaves.com each week. Every FreightWaves article published is designed to assist our readers in becoming the most informed professionals in the transportation and logistics industry. 

To make this task easier, we present an exclusive list of articles that may have flown under your radar this week. Each article is selected as essential reading for anyone who wants to have a finger on the pulse of the industry.

Oregon cap-and-trade bill is back, and truckers still don’t like it – A new cap-and-trade carbon emissions bill unveiled in Oregon last week continues to draw criticism from the trucking industry that helped derail similar legislation last year.

Commentary: The trucking insurance crisis, part 2: Lawsuit abuse – A primary culprit is a corrupt personal injury legal system where attorneys drive medical care. In this unethical alliance, certain attorneys and medical providers maximize settlements using arbitrary, grossly exaggerated medical costs.


Hydrogen costs could fall quickly for heavy-duty trucks – The cost of hydrogen for heavy-duty trucks could reach parity with low-carbon sources like battery electrics and even diesel fuel in some markets sooner than expected. 

FedEx’s LTL unit imposes `California compliance’ surcharge – The new assessment, dubbed a “California Compliance Surcharge,” took effect Jan. 20. It is part of a slew of pricing adjustments at FedEx which went into force on that date. 

US Bank sees freight payments dip in fourth quarter – The U.S. Bank National Shipment Index declined 5.4% year-over-year in the fourth quarter, down 4% sequentially from the third quarter of 2019. For all of 2019, the index declined 5.9% year-over-year, the largest annual decline recorded since 2011.

New Jersey’s new laws put more teeth in driver classification cases – As New Jersey’s legislature readies another bill this year aimed at worker misclassification, a series of other newly signed laws that give the state greater investigatory and punitive powers poses an even larger risk to motor carriers hiring owner-operators to haul their freight, according to one legal expert.


8 Comments

  1. Noble1= Shamash (Shemesh/Utu) the Babylonian God of the Sun(god of justice, morality, and truth-(enforcer of divine justice )

    Anyone who bought the Dow Jones Industrial Average on the first trading day in January 2020 and held up to now , has seen all their gains wiped out .

    You better pray that the 50 “day” moving average holds !

    In my humble opinion ………..

  2. Noble1= Shamash (Shemesh/Utu) the Babylonian God of the Sun(god of justice, morality, and truth-(enforcer of divine justice )

    And that concludes that . On to the next story .

    NEXT ! ……..

    Which brings me back to : TRUCK DRIVERS NEED TO UNITE , LOL ! (wink)

    My “gut” tells me that we can succeed , and that we will succeed if we unite and create an Alliance .

    In my humble opinion ………

    1. Noble1= Shamash (Shemesh/Utu) the Babylonian God of the Sun(god of justice, morality, and truth-(enforcer of divine justice )

      Google these titles :

      – George Soros says Hong Kong’s protests and Italy’s “sardines” are glimmers of hope

      – What the Hong Kong protests can teach the world about enduring social movements

  3. Noble1= Shamash (Shemesh/Utu) the Babylonian God of the Sun(god of justice, morality, and truth-(enforcer of divine justice )

    Apparently this appeared on the net 4 days ago .
    Quote:

    Wuhan Coronavirus=Bat SARS-like Coronavirus=Biological Warfare Launched by China acc. NCBI, USA?

    Summary: The possibility of bats transmitting coronavirus to humans is almost nil. But Wuhan’s new pneumonia virus is identical to Bat SARS-like coronavirus w.r.t envelope protein, based on NCBI’s BLAST (Diagram 1). So the bat virus must have undergone genetic alteration.

    As it is almost impossible for envelope protein to remain intact after natural mutation, the only explanation left is artificial DNA modification, possibly by the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which since 2007 has collected samples from thousands of bats across the country and done genetic experiments with them.

    It is suspected that China has intended to use this virus to launch a biological warfare attack on anti-CCP Hongkongers, and to destroy the USA and the free world in general. However, something went wrong in the process and the deadly virus escaped while still on the Mainland, as a result of which the culprit reaps what it sows.

    Full Text:
    Wuhan pneumonia virus ≡ Bat SARS-like coronavirus
     
    Head of fauna at Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden Dr. Gary Ades (2020), an expert in bat ecology, is adamant that the possibility of bats transmitting their coronavirus to humans is close to zero. But Wuhan’s novel coronavirus is capable of transmission between humans. And the envelope protein of Wuhan seafood market pneumonia virus (QHD43418.1) & that of Bat SARS-like coronavirus (AVP78033.1) are 100% identical, based on the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) of NCBI (National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine).

    NCBI itself (note 1) has noted the close connection between the 2 viruses. It follows that the bat virus has undergone genetic change (either artificial or natural). Yet it is almost impossible for envelope protein to remain unaltered after natural mutation. So the only explanation left is artificial genetic modification.

    Wuhan P4 lab to Research Most Dangerous Pathogens
     
    It was after the 2003 SARS that China began to plan the building of the Wuhan bio-safety level four (BSL-4) laboratory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) or the Wuhan P4 lab in the Jiangxia district of the city, and the lab was inaugurated in 2018. According to CAS itself, the lab was built precisely to look into the most dangerous pathogens like the novel Coronavirus and conduct research on them. Towards the end of 2019, the mystery virus first popped up in Wuhan.
     
    Bat Virus Sequence Uploaded to NCBI by China Military
     
    Bat SARS-like coronavirus is a virus isolated from Zhoushun bats and DNA-modified by the China Military so that it can be spread between humans. Its sequence alignment in 2018 was uploaded to NCBI (National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine) by Institute of Military Medicine Nanjing Command.
     
    Corona Virus as a Biological Weapon
     
    It is thus suspected that China has intended to use this virus as a biological weapon to genocidally wipe out true Hongkongers, who started the Anti-Extradition Law Movement or HK Time Revolution in June last year, and to attack the United States and the free world in general. However, something went wrong in the process and the deadly virus escaped as a result of which China reaps what it sows.
     
    Indeed, the SARS virus has escaped from high-level containment facilities in Beijing multiple times, notes Richard Ebright, a molecular biologist at Rutgers University in Piscataway, New Jersey. Tim Trevan, founder of CHROME Biosafety and Biosecurity Consulting in Damascus, Maryland, said that an open culture is important to keeping BSL-4 labs safe, and he questions how easy this will be in Communist China.
     
    The Wuhan lab is also equipped for animal research. Studying the behavior of a virus like 209-nCoV and developing treatments or vaccines for it requires infecting these research monkeys, an important step before human testing. Monkeys are unpredictable though, warned Ebright. ‘They can run, they can scratch they can bite,’ he said, and the viruses they carry would go where their feet, nails and teeth do. (note 2)
     
    Wuhan P4 lab’s Done Researches on Bat Virus
     
    In fact, the Wuhan P4 lab has carried out a lot of researches on bat coronavirus. Most significantly, around 2007, a team led by Shi Zheng-Li and Cui Jie of the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China sampled thousands of horseshoe bats in locations across the country (note 3). After finding a particular cave in Yunnan, southwestern China, in which the strains of coronavirus looked similar to human versions (notes 4, 5), the researchers spent five years monitoring the bats that lived there, collecting fresh guano and taking anal swabs (note 6). They sequenced the genomes of 15 viral strains from the bats and found that, taken together, the strains contain all the genetic pieces that make up the human version.
     
    Staff from Wuhan Institute of Virology in 2017 also published an article entitled “Novel bat adenoviruses with low G+C content shed new light on the evolution of adenoviruses” (J Gen Virol. 2017 Apr;98(4):739-748). In a 2019 research, staff from the same institute even synthesized genetic isolates from bats from different countries and inserted the resulting product into into pUC57 vector (“Rapid and Specific Detection of All Known Nipah virus Strains’ Sequences With Reverse Transcription-Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification” Front Microbiol. 2019; 10: 418).
     
    Death Toll on the Rise
     
    The death toll from the Wuhan coronavirus has risen to 25, with 830 infected, as dozens more cases were reported across China and as far afield as the western United States, sparking fears of a possible pandemic.”

    End quote .

    Isn’t that interesting ? Apparently I’m not too far off the mark . Last I read death toll is now up to approximately 80 .

    Go look up SARS , I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a protest of some sort around that time too in 2002 & 2003 . While you’re at it look into MERS-CoV around 2012 in Saudi Arabia , and see if there was some sort of protest around that year as well .

    Perhaps there’s a pattern .

    Draw your own conclusion .

    In my humble opinion …………..

  4. Noble1= Shamash (Shemesh/Utu) the Babylonian God of the Sun(god of justice, morality, and truth-(enforcer of divine justice )

    Suspicious or coincidence ?

    Wuhan coronavirus outbreak while Hong Kong protest grows and US backs Hong Kong protestors ? .

    Quote :

    “In November, President Donald Trump signed into law legislation backing the protesters by requiring the State Department to certify annually that Hong Kong retains enough autonomy to justify favorable U.S. trading terms that have helped it maintain its position as a world financial center.

    The law also threatens sanctions for human rights violations.

    The liaison office expressed “extreme anger” toward the U.S. in response, and added that Hong Kong belongs to China and “the Chinese have the ability to deal with Hong Kong affairs.”

    -“Congress passed a second bill, which Trump also signed, banning the export to the Hong Kong police of crowd-control munitions, such as teargas, pepper spray, rubber bullets and stun guns.”

    China has denounced the legislation as gross interference in its affairs and a violation of international law.
    “This is a severe interference in Hong Kong affairs, which are China’s internal affairs,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. “It is also in serious violation of international law and basic norms governing international relations. The Chinese government and the people firmly oppose such stark hegemonic acts.”

    Beijing warned that the United States would shoulder the consequences of China’s counter measures if it continued to “act arbitrarily” in regards to Hong Kong, according to a foreign ministry statement.”

    DRAW YOUR OWN CONCLUSION !

    In my humble opinion …………….

    1. Noble1= Shamash (Shemesh/Utu) the Babylonian God of the Sun(god of justice, morality, and truth-(enforcer of divine justice )

      Requote:

      “Beijing warned that the United States would shoulder the consequences of China’s counter measures if it continued to “act arbitrarily” in regards to Hong Kong, according to a foreign ministry statement.”

      Quote :

      “The deadly animal-borne coronavirus spreading globally may have originated in a laboratory in the city of Wuhan linked to China’s covert biological weapons program, said an Israeli biological warfare analyst.

      Radio Free Asia last week rebroadcast a Wuhan television report from 2015 showing China’s most advanced virus research laboratory, known the Wuhan Institute of Virology. The laboratory is the only declared site in China capable of working with deadly viruses.

      Dany Shoham, a former Israeli military intelligence officer who has studied Chinese biological warfare, said the institute is linked to Beijing’s covert bio-weapons program.”

      Requote:

      ” the institute is linked to Beijing’s covert bio-weapons program.”

      Quote :

      “Hong Kong’s Beijing-backed government ”

      November 2019
      Quote :

      Made-in-China teargas: CCP’s bioweapon to silently exterminate Hongkongers

      Birds and squirrel killed by MiC tear gas. There hasn’t been much discussion of its damage to wildlife and the natural environment lately.

      The international community must stop pretending to be asleep or turning a blind eye to the CCP. Hongkongers, along with Taiwanese, Tibetans and Uyghurs, are sending an international SOS. Please help.”

      End quote .

      Google this :

      Chinese scientists develop handheld sonic weapon for crowd control .

      October 7 2008
      Quote:

      Taiwan suggests SARS was China warfare plot

      Quote :

      “1968: Pentagon asks for the chance to use some of its arsenal against protesters to demonstrate the “efficacy” of the chemicals.”

      NOW as I was writing this and researching I found this , WOW !
      However , I post it in my next comment to shorten this one .

      Draw your own conclusion

      In my humble opinion ………..

  5. Noble1= Shamash (Shemesh/Utu) the Babylonian God of the Sun(god of justice, morality, and truth-(enforcer of divine justice )

    Speaking of keeping a “pulse” what’s going on :

    Quote :
    -January 26 2020
    5th US case of coronavirus confirmed as death toll rises to 56 in China

    The epicenter of the virus is Wuhan, where 9 million people are on lockdown.

    The Trump administration is being urged to declare a formal public health emergency as a fifth case of the deadly coronavirus in the United States was confirmed and the death toll from the disease rose to 56 in China, where officials cautioned that the spread of the never-before-seen illness appears to be getting stronger. ”

    -“Coronavirus spreads to Los Angeles, Orange County: How concerned should we be about spread? ”

    -“Canadian coronavirus patient showed symptoms on flight back from China, officials say

    Officials are now ‘working rapidly’ to trace passengers who were in ‘close proximity’ of the man, Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer

    A Toronto man who is believed to be Canada’s first, and most certainly not last confirmed case of the rogue Wuhan coronavirus was showing symptoms of the virus on his flight back from Wuhan to Canada last week, federal health officials said Sunday.”

    -Three suspected new cases of Coronavirus in Jalisco, Mexico

    QUOTE :

    Containing new coronavirus may not be feasible, experts say, as they warn of possible sustained global spread

    Some infectious disease experts are warning that it may no longer be feasible to contain the new coronavirus circulating in China. Failure to stop it there could see the virus spread in a sustained way around the world and even perhaps join the ranks of respiratory viruses that regularly infect people.

    “The more we learn about it, the greater the possibility is that transmission will not be able to be controlled with public health measures,” said Dr. Allison McGeer, a Toronto-based infectious disease specialist who contracted SARS in 2003 and who helped Saudi Arabia control several hospital-based outbreaks of MERS.

    If that’s the case, she said, “we’re living with a new human virus, and we’re going to find out if it will spread around the globe.” McGeer cautioned that because the true severity of the outbreak isn’t yet known, it’s impossible to predict what the impact of that spread would be, though she noted it would likely pose significant challenges to health care facilities.” 

    BE VIGILANT !

    In my humble opinion …………

  6. Noble1= Shamash (Shemesh/Utu) the Babylonian God of the Sun(god of justice, morality, and truth-(enforcer of divine justice )

    This sort of article is a good idea for a condensed location to retrieve articles . However , you should have included one of your “Sonar” articles within too “advertise” and demonstrate one of the “exceptional services” you offer to FreightWaves members, through a subscription, which could have a tremendous potential positive impact on their bottom line ,(wink)

    In my humble opinion ……… .

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