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Trucking News

The Journal of Commerce’s trucking news and analysis encompasses full truckload, less-than-truckload (LTL), private fleet trucking, refrigerated trucking, regulation, drayage, and transloading. Reporting centers on pricing, volume demand, capacity, labor, regulation, and service levels in US and Canadian trucking networks. 

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The latest Trucking News News & Analysis

Roadrunner to enter Canada as K+N, Canada Cartage make cross-border acquisitions

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor |
The expansion of the three companies, all representing different modes across the US-Canadian border, underscores the depth of the relationship between the two economies.
SurfaceForwardingTrucking NewsTruckloadLTL

Control of US LTL capacity in 2024 hangs on sale of Yellow terminals

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor |
An auction of Yellow’s 174 owned terminals is scheduled for Tuesday, with winning bids to be disclosed on Friday while a separate battle continues over 149 leased terminals.
SurfaceTrucking NewsLTL

European truckers brace for hefty toll hikes in Germany linked to CO2 emissions

Greg Knowler, Senior Editor Europe |
The CO2 charge on commercial vehicles is aimed at incentivizing the use of green fuels and lower-emissions trucks, but it will come at a significant cost to the road haulage industry.
SurfaceTrucking NewsTruckload

Estes commits to more technology spending after October cyberattack

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor |
With its systems restored, the LTL carrier plans to “lean into” technology development and investment for greater security and visibility.
SurfaceLTL

LTL carriers aim high in pricing as market continues to settle post-Yellow

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor |
Large LTL trucking providers are raising tariff rates 5% to 8% on average, but the LTL PPI slowed its growth to under 1% in October.
SurfaceTrucking NewsLTL

Oversupply weighs heavily on US truckload market, keeping prices in check

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor |
Although small trucking firms are folding, there is still a large supply of carriers and trucks keeping a lid on pricing amid soft demand. 
SurfaceTrucking NewsTruckload

Forward Air formally moves to terminate Omni Logistics merger

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor |
The expedited less-than-truckload provider has asked a Delaware court to let it kill the controversial deal that has caused its share price to plummet and raised the ire of activist investors.
SurfaceForwardingTrucking NewsLTL

US shippers expanding private fleets in uncertain truck market

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor |
The need for greater supply chain stability, not just control over on-time service, is driving growth in the number of private fleets run by shippers even in a time of cheap truck rates.
SurfaceTrucking NewsTruckloadSupply chain

Bid from car hauler to revive defunct Yellow has shippers skeptical

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor |
Jack Cooper Transport wants to outbid other truckers for the assets of the bankrupt less-than-truckload provider, but it’s not clear how the bid would work.
Trucking NewsLTL

US truckload shippers urged to launch bids now to get best 2024 rates

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor |
An uptick in the West Coast share of Asian imports has already translated into heightened demand for surface transportation.
TruckloadTruck brokers

‘Aggressive’ truck brokers stuck in soft market: C.H. Robinson

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor |
The largest US freight broker expects more companies to follow Convoy and exit the market as demand remains weak and rates stay low. 
SurfaceTrucking NewsTruckloadTruck brokers

Omni Logistics sues Forward Air to enforce completion of merger deal

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor |
Freight forwarder Omni isn’t giving up on a merger with Forward and is moving to force completion of the deal despite Forward’s cold feet. 
SurfaceForwardingTrucking NewsLTL

Dry van truckload capacity in no hurry to exit despite bear market: analyst

Jason Miller, associate professor of logistics at Michigan State University, and Journal of Commerce analyst |
It is unlikely that supply and demand for dry van trucking will reach an equilibrium before the second quarter of 2024, and that is likely an optimistic date, writes analyst Jason Miller.
SurfaceTrucking NewsTruckload

US LTL carriers expanding terminal networks amid post-Yellow recalibration

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor |
With hundreds of terminals on the market, LTL trucking companies are setting their sights on Yellow’s sites and other properties as they expand and optimize networks to handle more freight.
SurfaceTrucking NewsLTL

Forward Air says considering canceling Omni Logistics merger

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor |
The apparent change of heart from Forward management comes as Forward activist investors opposed to the $150 million deal try to oust the company’s chief executive.
SurfaceTrucking NewsLTL

US LTL carriers gaining freight and hiking rates, but real recovery is elusive

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor |
Less-than-truckload freight once hauled by Yellow is being “reallocated” among carriers, and rates are rising, but an underlying economic impetus for a surge in LTL demand is still missing.
SurfaceTrucking NewsLTL

No escaping the truckload market’s inherent fragmentation for Convoy

Eric Johnson, Senior Technology Editor |
The demise of truckload broker Convoy has highlighted how difficult it is to create differentiation in a market with no dominant player, with Convoy itself to blame for stoking more competition through its technology focus.
Truck brokersTrucking NewsTruckloadLogistics Technology News

Carrier, broker failures solidifying US truckload spot pricing floor

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor |
US truckload shippers are showing more “sensitivity” to supply and service issues, supporting a new spot market pricing floor but not giving rates much lift, according to trucking and logistics executives.
SurfaceTrucking NewsTruckload

Transfix defies down market to raise $40 million for truckload brokerage

Eric Johnson, Senior Technology Editor |
Transfix’s investment being announced on the same day Convoy told employees it was winding down operations highlights some of the differences between members of a group broadly defined as “digital brokers.”
Truck brokersTrucking NewsTruckloadLogistics Technology News

Convoy says will shut operations, sell off technology amid market downturn

Eric Johnson, Senior Technology Editor |
While sudden, the impact of Convoy shutting its business should be muted in a truckload brokerage market where shippers have access to low spot rates and plentiful capacity.
Trucking NewsTruckloadLogistics Technology News

Freight broker Convoy stops accepting loads amid pending company ‘transition’

Eric Johnson, Senior Technology Editor |
The company has long been a lightning rod in the truckload industry, one of a cohort of so-called digital brokers to emerge in the 2010s backed by venture capital investors with an ambition to make the industry more efficient through digitizing processes.
Truck brokersTrucking NewsTruckloadLogistics Technology News

Investor group seeks to block Forward Air-Omni deal, oust Forward CEO

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor |
Ancora Alternatives is seeking a special shareholder meeting to replace members of Forward’s board of directors, including CEO Tom Schmitt, with the ultimate goal of killing the acquisition of Omni, which Ancora blames for a steep drop in Forward’s stock value. 
SurfaceTrucking NewsLTL

Texas starts truck inspections at Laredo bridge amid cross-border delays

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor |
State truck inspections are adding to existing problems clearing rising amounts of freight entering the US from Mexico as migrant numbers arriving at the US border surge.
Truckload

US shippers told to make trucking bids more collaborative

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor |
The bidding process needs to be “revolutionized” to save shippers money, with more emphasis on strategic relationships, speakers said at the NITL Engage Conference.
SurfaceTrucking NewsTruckload

US trucking jobs shrank last month, but far less than expected  

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor |
Motor carriers may be concerned that in what is still a tight job market, any employees who are let go temporarily would not be available when demand rises again.
SurfaceTrucking NewsTruckloadLTLTrucking labor

Estes restoring critical IT systems following cyberattack

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor |
The fourth-largest US less-than-truckload carrier said it had restored many of its core systems by Sunday, while continuing to pick up and deliver freight despite a week of disruption.
SurfaceTrucking NewsLTL

CMA CGM makes big investment in electric van JV with vehicle makers

Greg Knowler, Senior Editor Europe |
While light commercial vehicles are not typically used on a large scale by the ocean carrier, it has a significant landside presence where the electric vehicles could be used to lower emissions.
MaritimeContainer Shipping NewsContainer linesTrucking NewsLogistics Technology News

Maersk using self-driving trucks to move Houston-Oklahoma City freight

Michael Angell, Associate Editor |
The shipping giant is running four dry-van round trips each week on the approximately 400-mile route between the two cities.
Trucking NewsLogistics Technology News

Increased truckload volatility inducing shippers, brokers to use pricing technology

Eric Johnson, Senior Technology Editor |
Excess capacity in the truckload market is a chance for shippers to examine whether they or their freight brokers have the right technology tools to effectively price in the contract and spot markets.
TruckloadTrucking NewsTruck brokersLogistics Technology News

US LTL capacity tightens further as Estes cyberattack outage continues

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor and Ari Ashe, Senior Editor |
Brokered LTL freight may be the first freight diverted away from Estes, and it may be harder for those transactional shipments to find alternate carriers.
Trucking NewsLTL

US LTL carrier Estes hit by widespread systems outage

Eric Johnson, Senior Technology Editor |
A systems outage that has left less-than-truckload carrier Estes grappling with email, website and data exchange issues is the latest such incident to befall the logistics and transportation industry.
LTLLogistics Technology News

Inland23: US-Mexico trucking costs rising with cross-border demand

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor |
Cross-border trade with Mexico is one of the few hot spots in trucking, but fuel prices and other costs are putting more pressure on rates.
SurfaceTrucking NewsTruckloadLTL

Inland23: Intermodal providers expect unchanged rates in early 2024 bids

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor |
If history is any indication, it is unlikely intermodal providers will be able to implement a rate increase in 2024 contracts until the trucking market rebounds.
SurfaceTrucking NewsIntermodal providers

Inland23: US trucking costs rising amid weak demand

Mark Szakonyi, Executive Editor |
Rising labor costs — both behind the wheel and at the warehouse, elevated diesel prices and cross-dock scarcity in major cities are making it more costly to run transportation networks, attendees at the Journal of Commerce’s Inland Distribution Conference were told.
SurfaceTrucking NewsTruckloadLTLTrucking labor

Inland23: Pandemic yields rise in US truckload thefts

Teri Errico Griffis, Associate Editor |
Solar panels and energy drinks are among the top targeted goods for truckload theft, with major markets such as Los Angeles, Houston and Chicago particularly ripe for those crimes.
SurfaceContainer Shipping NewsTrucking News

US LTL shippers still juggling carriers, freight in wake of Yellow’s demise

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor |
Less-than-truckload freight once hauled by Yellow is being redistributed among other carriers in waves as shippers shop for the best fit in price, capacity, technology and service.
SurfaceTrucking NewsLTL

Estes wins battle to control sale of Yellow terminals amid tightening LTL capacity 

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor |
A US bankruptcy court approved a $1.525 billion bid by Estes Express Lines to be the “stalking horse” that sets the floor price for Yellow’s terminals at auction, controlling their sale in November.
SurfaceTrucking NewsLTL

Rising fuel costs driving US LTL, truckload costs higher

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor |
Cuts in oil production and increased fuel use globally are pushing up trucking fuel surcharges and, in turn, transportation costs for US shippers.
SurfaceTrucking News

J.B. Hunt brokerage acquisition deepens partnership with BNSF

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor |
The division of BNSF Logistics between BNSF Railway and J.B. Hunt is aimed at helping to improve service to joint customers at a time when freight demand is weak.
Intermodal providersTrucking NewsRail News

Estes expands international forwarding, raises bid for Yellow terminals

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor |
Estes Forwarding Worldwide, a subsidiary of the LTL trucking provider, is buying Superior Brokerage Services, a step that increases Estes’ ability to offer end-to-end logistics services as other providers look to do the same.
ForwardingTrucking NewsLTL