Michael Vincent and Andrew Cox discuss what a deal with TRATON Group means for self-driving truck technology
Headlines
KLLM announced a pay raise for drivers, bumping the earning potential by over 9%. KLLM follows Werner, Heartland and others hiking wages and sign-on bonuses for drivers to try and keep up with growing demand and a continued driver shortage.
Data from Wall Street shows shipping stocks continue to struggle with their market caps falling, but container-ship owners defy that trend with market caps soaring due to import demands.
OOIDA President Todd Spencer is vying for a top spot at the FMCSA. He believes today’s regulations and enforcement are stringent but safety is still moving in the wrong direction.
The Biden administration is being warned about potential “turf wars” in the Department of Transportation (DOT). James Burnley, the former DOT secretary, says the president-elect’s cabinet picks should be carefully selected and have loads of experience and proven track records.
Anthony Smith with an economic update
Manufacturing output jumped in the beginning of November but has seen a slowdown in the pace of the growth. Still, the current growth is outpacing Smith’s expectations.
Some companies blame the slowdown in their growth on COVID-19, saying necessary quarantine procedures have limited the ability to hire, produce goods and keep employees around.
Agriculture increases demand for American exports
Jared Flinn, operating partner at Bulkloads, joins the show to talk about how 2020 has actually been a good year for American farmers as demand from China increases.
China has increased its purchasing of U.S. grain to replenish its pork stocks post-pandemic, but Flinn thinks the “inverted market” will eventually fall off due to the cyclic nature of the agricultural market.
TuSimple partners with TRATON Group
Autonomous truck developer TuSimple launched a partnership with TRATON Group, bringing its autonomous truck plan into the European market for the first time.
Its goal is to have a fully autonomous truck on the road by 2021. Vice President of Strategy Lee White says TuSimple’s focus remains on the U.S. market because “it is prepared for it and the adoption rate will happen faster in the U.S.”
You can find more Midday Market Update recaps and recaps for all our shows here.
