Trucking News

Heartland Express has acquired truckload carrier Millis Transfer and the Millis driving school for $150 million, the second major acquisition the Iowa carrier has made in two years.

After two bills that would have banned the use of double tractor-trailers stalled in the Mexican legislature, a new proposal calls for cutting the allowable weight of the vehicles.

Digital freight broker Transfix is banking on a former eBay executive and venture capital investors to differentiate the company among a crowded field of brokers, digital and otherwise.

Coyote Logistics reports its spot market index is down 24.9 percent year over year, but the 3PL believes an inflection point is near when demand will begin to pick up and rates climb again.

One of the few positive indicators in trucking is the ATA Tonnage Index, which rose 7.3 percent in July year over year -- a signal that some don’t believe the industry is in turmoil.

A new agreement between the US and Canada will allow the two countries to fully clear cargo before railroads and trucks reach landside ports of entry, reducing congestion and freeing up customs officials.

Despite the "doom-and-gloom" predictions of some industry watchers, there are cities where trucking activity has picked up in August, offering a glimmer of hope for the US freight market.

The 2019 JOC Directory of Trucking Companies is a one-stop source of information for North American shippers and third-party logistics providers on nearly 180 select trucking companies in the United States and Canada.

After a rise in domestic US trucking rates in June offered a glimmer of hope, the numbers and commentary show a return to sluggish shipping conditions in the previous 45 days.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has proposed updates to the hours-of-service regulations covering the trucking industry to increase flexibility and safety on US highways.

The largest domestic truckload and less-than-truckload (LTL) carriers reported double-digit percentage revenue gains in 2018 thanks to strong US economic growth and the tightest trucking market on record.

The investment adds momentum to the port’s efforts to improve truck fluidity following high single-digit growth last year that has since moderated to mid- single-digit gains.

New funding for freight invoicing startup BasicBlock shows investors are keen to back emerging payment technology and that carriers are struggling with liquidity in a soft rate environment.

Multiregional less-than-truckload carrier Saia is adding terminals in the US Northeast, building “capacity for growth.”

Fleet bankruptcies show some capacity is coming out of the market, but it’s unclear whether that will make any significant dent in the oversupply of trucks available in the spot trade.

Roadrunner Transportation Systems reported revenue and profits were down in the second quarter as it battled weak conditions in the airfreight, truckload, LTL, and intermodal markets.

Tonnage and shipments are falling, but LTL carriers are piling up profits, thanks to a keen focus on the bottom line not noticeable 10 years ago.

The long-term outlook for truckers, and their shipper customers, is blurred by the fog of trade wars, but 2020 will bring changes.

Schneider National cut its 2019 earnings guidance, citing an uncertain outlook for trucking and intermodal volumes in the second half of the year.

Schneider National has shut its first and final-mile division only three years after the major acquisitions of Watkins & Shepard and Lodeso, exiting a market where it was unable to make inroads amid a crowd of competitors.

Large US truckload carriers are cutting excess capacity, albeit only slightly, pulling the JOC Truckload Capacity Index down for the first time since 2016.

A long-term investment in technology is helping Werner generate profits, and capacity for shipper customers.

A new chassis depot is open outside Canadian Pacific's intermodal terminal near Chicago's O'Hare Airport, which will allow truckers to pick up and return equipment to transport containers.

Old Dominion Freight Line demonstrates how trucking companies can prosper even in a “soft demand environment.” The key: Knowing your costs, and pricing accordingly.

Landstar System and Echo Global Logistics reported lower second-quarter earnings, while 3PLS are uncertain whether the malaise will linger through the end of this year.

The driver shortage has diminished, but not disappeared, the American Trucking Associations says. Demographics, freight demand, and pay are the key issues.

With rates and freight demand low, smaller trucking operators may be increasingly up for grabs.

Negotiations this week will attempt to cool the tensions building among freelance truckers in Brazil, who are unhappy with new minimum rates the government attempted to implement.

Freight marketplaces are all the rage, but the problem of tapping into latent trucking capacity is particularly acute in India, where start-up technology provider Lobb believes it can double the number of days drivers are on the road.

IHS Markit data shows LTL pricing and rate hikes declining at a slower pace than truckload pricing.

A new truck rate benchmarking program designed to give Mexican shippers their first scientifically-created rate comparisons will be available next month, compiled by Chainalytics and a Mexican partner.

Shippers own the US freight market in mid-2019, but they are finding the cost of poor or inconsistent trucking service can outweigh the savings of lower rates.

Uncertainty clouds the freight outlook beyond August, as spot truck rates cool in July after rising in June and US inventories remain high.

Attempts to increase rail’s market share in Europe are being hampered by added costs involved in the modal shift, which Belgium’s transport lobbies believe can be solved by government subsidies.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services believes the intermodal market has hit rock bottom, expressing confidence that shippers will move excess inventory in the second half of 2019, though volume will still be less than last year.

Shippers benefit from logistics systems integrations, some of which they don’t even see, as 3PLs and software vendors develop embedded pricing and visibility functionality.

Cross-border truck traffic between Mexico and the United States is rising, and shipping costs are likely to increase as delays tighten border capacity.

Heavy truck orders are in steep decline, but production backlogs are falling and new trucks are hitting US highways, adding to excess capacity and preserving shipper pricing leverage.

Shippers “don’t need to panic” over two recent bankruptcies, an LTL expert says, but they do need to vet transportation providers more carefully, and look for signs of trouble before a bankruptcy.

YRC Worldwide is not merging any of its carriers, but is consolidating back-office functions by closing its New Penn headquarters, and plans to eliminate 'duplicate' terminals.