Truckload

Werner Enterprises easily passed a slow-moving economy in the first quarter, increasing trucking revenue 6 percent and net profit 61 percent. Freight demand remains strong in April, the company said.

Truck tonnage increased in March after a February fall, riding a wave of stronger consumer confidence, retail sales and U.S. imports.

Con-way Truckload is purchasing 635 new tractors with automated manual transmissions in a bid to attract drivers — especially new recruits.

Refrigerated trucking operator Marten Transport nearly doubled net profit in the first quarter while expanding dedicated operations as shippers scrambled to secure truck capacity.

The pace of truck rate increases could slow this year, if manufacturing continues to grow slowly and low energy prices deter capital investment, Wall Street analysts said. However, they see a storm coming in 2016-17.

Stronger pricing, better equipment utilization and strong intermodal growth helped lift the Arkansas-based carrier's fiscal first quarter profit to $91.9 million.

Shippers need to work with trucking suppliers to find ways to 'mitigate' driver shortage as pay hikes push up rates, Werner's Derek Leathers says.

Truck volumes on the U.S. spot market shot up 34 percent in March from February, as the spring surge in freight arrived at ports, loading docks, warehouses and retail stores.

Budapest, Hungary-based Waberer's International is building a network of trucking subsidiaries in Western Europe to connect with local shippers and expand its business faster.

Federal regulators ordered a South Carolina trucker off the road last week after a series of inspections revealed faulty brakes and other safety violations.

The 50 largest U.S. trucking companies increased their combined revenue by 10 percent or more than $10 billion to $117 billion in 2014, as the U.S. economy reached and maintained a higher growth rate.

John Simone, the CEO who drove USA Truck back to profitability last year after several years of losses, will take medical leave. Director Thomas Glaser will serve as interim chief operating officer.

Slower U.S. economic growth is dampening first-quarter earnings expectations at Universal Truckload Services, which said lower than expected demand in February and March was a drag on first-quarter earnings.

A flatbed and specialized freight carrier and two auto transport companies were the fastest-growing businesses on a list of the 50 largest U.S. trucking firms last year. Most companies on the list grew faster as the U.S. economy accelerated in 2014.

Hefty increases in truck driver wages will propel truckload rates higher in 2015 and beyond, potentially pushing pricing up by double digits, a transportation analyst warns. Truckload rates may need to rise as much as 12 to 18 percent to pay for higher driver wages.

Volumes moved by truck in the U.S. declined in February, the result of severe winter weather and lingering effects of the West Coast port congestion crisis, according to the American Trucking Associations.

Net orders for trailers in the U.S. dropped for the second month in February, but manufacturers will be busy for several months fulfilling an immense backlog of orders.

The largest U.S. truckload carriers enjoyed much stronger growth in 2014, aided by solid economic expansion, several mergers and acquisitions and mounting pricing power.

Even before congestion begins to clear West Coast ports, freight shipping activity in the U.S. is rising, a trend that will put more pressure on freight rates and capacity, according to the Cass Freight Index.

The tentative agreement between West Coast longshore workers and terminal operators is already affecting truck pricing, with spot market dry van rates from Los Angeles rising 4 cents to $1.92 per mile on average in the week that ended Feb. 28, according to DAT Solutions.

Truckload carrier C.R. England is raising driver pay for the third time since November and the second time in the last 40 days, while offering bonuses to successful driver trainers.

Penske Truck Leasing and sister company Penske Automotive Group are expanding their heavy-truck leasing business in Australia, targeting operators with older trucks.

Fresh from its first profitable year since the recession, USA Truck signed an agreement with two of its leading investors that will allow those firms to sell some of their stock.

Don't be fooled by a seasonal drop in net trailer orders in January — a stronger economy and changing equipment strategies are contributing to a "vibrant" trailer market in the U.S., as FTR sales data show.

Transportation company spending on equipment helped boost an equipment financing index to three-year high in February despite lower equipment spending in the energy field.

Six years into the recovery, larger U.S. truckload carriers are finally beginning to expand fleets, not just swap older vehicles for new ones.

The number of loads available for spot dry van tractor-trailers have plummeted at West Coast ports since November, depressing outbound spot truckload rates, DAT Solutions said. A strong rebound is likely when the port labor dispute is resolved and containers start moving.

Shippers could see truck pricing 'skyrocket' as they scramble to move containers inland once the labor situation at U.S. West Coast ports is resolved, BB&T Capital Markets said.

Tight trukload capacity and an improving economy will push freight rates higher this year, according to Ben Hartford, senior research analyst at Robert W. Baird Co.

After a strenuous overhaul of its business model to better match evolving shipper supply chain needs, USA Truck returned to profitability in 2014. A stronger U.S. economy and lower fuel prices also helped.

With a stronger economy and stronger profits at their backs, large truckload carriers are beginning to add capacity, where it pays, pushing the JOC Truckload Capacity Index up 3.6 points in 2014.

TRAC Intermodal has unveiled an upgraded service that provides higher-quality intermodal chassis that the company says will be pre-inspected and “green-tagged” so truck drivers can pick them up without waiting for repairs.

The largest U.S. truckload carrier could add 700 to 1,100 trucks this year, if higher rates, higher freight demand and higher pay keep drivers in truck cabs.

Surpassing 30 million total miles, the natural gas trucks operated by Ryder System and its customers demonstrate the efficacy of natural gas as a vehicle fuel.

Low fuel prices and intermodal improvements delivered record fourth-quarter profits to Marten Transport, as the refrigerated carrier got more money out of its rolling assets.

The U.S. average spot rate for a dry van truck on DAT load boards dropped below $2 per mile last week for the fist time since May, as a slower post-holiday freight season began.

U.S. freight shipments and shipper transport spending both dropped from the previous month in December, but remained close to a post-recession high, according to the Cass Freight Index.

Even if Mexican carriers rush to apply for U.S. authority, getting freight across the border won't become easier without improved customs processes, an expert on U.S.-Mexican trade says.

Net orders for new trucks in North America came close to breaking 10-year records in late 2014. But will those net orders translate to much additional capacity for shippers?