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Smaller less-than-truckload (LTL) players shot past larger competitors in the Top 25 rankings last year, as a stronger US economy and freight volumes benefited all LTL and truckload haulers.

Shippers concerned about the US truck capacity shortage will find some relief from intermodal, but take note: demand for intermodal service is increasing substantially, as well.

Beneficial cargo owners who contract with XPO for drayage will closely watch a class-action misclassification lawsuit in Los Angeles seeking wages, damages, and a permanent injunction preventing XPO from classifying drivers as independent contractors.

The European Union is pushing further for rail freight development. In addition to reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 30 percent, facilitating the free circulation of goods within Europe is part of the European Union's DNA. And the quality of inland transportation is a key success factor regarding port development.

An end-to-end protective service for perishable, refrigerated goods and seafood in natural-water-environment containers is the cold chain railroad model, and its deployers argue they can grab reefer market share from other transport modes.

The US transportation capacity vise that is squeezing supply chains is moving end-to-end visibility and automation from shipper wish lists to priority lists.

Although not limited to Chicago, the top US freight hub has been cited for the most severe gridlock and so much drayage demand that some motor carriers will not accept new customers until April.

Despite a big surge in net truck orders, shippers should not expect near-term relief from the US truck capacity crunch. Registration numbers have also increased, but have not erased shortages.

By adding terminals and building density in areas such as Texas and the Northeast, less-than-truckload trucking company Saia is positioning its assets closer to capacity-hungry customers.

The expansion of business with Japan’s Ocean Network Express shipping alliance underscores Canadian Pacific Railway's intent to gain intermodal market share.

Railway-based cargo carriage in Bangladesh is increasing annually, and officials are hopeful that trend will accelerate in the period ahead as a result of a regional Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal connectivity initiative.

Given increasing road congestion, the European Union is under pressure to make a concerted effort to create a genuine, pan-European rail market, but given the dominance of state-owned rail operators in most countries that stifles competition, shippers and forwarders remain skeptical.

US truckload and intermodal pricing have both been rising inexorably, although truckload pricing may have peaked momentarily.

Growing imports are driving up demand, and rental rates, for seaport warehouses, but beneficial cargo owners in secondary and tertiary markets will likely face a truck capacity shortage due to the electronic logging device and warehouse space in those markets could actually see rental rates soften.

US truck driver pay is headed up — something that is pushing shipper rates higher and compelling truck transportation companies to rethink how they pay drivers and attract scarce talent.

Shippers and all involved in trade take note: US railroads, in some respects, hold the destiny of the 2018 intermodal year in their hands.

Crunching shipper data, Zipline Logistics has found that the electronic logging device mandate is having a measurable impact on US trucker transit times and capacity.

Changing the hours-of-service rules could give US truckers more flexibility or mask shipper inefficiencies.

Although few details have been released, a pilot program at a marine terminal at the Port of New York and New Jersey appears to give shippers a sought-after early slot for a fee of $95 — suggesting shippers could get better service if they are willing to pay for it.

Intermodal equipment provider Direct ChassisLink Inc.’s (DCLI's) Digital DCLI initiative seeks to leverage the company’s REZ-1 technology for myriad supply chain improvements, in a three-year effort that goes far beyond basic chassis supply.

US shippers will like the additional capacity less-than-truckload (LTL) trucking companies plan to provide this year — but they will not like the LTL price increases that are sure to come. Still, the added revenue will fund much-needed investments in capital and talent.

The US Department of Defense contract calls for Crowley to move various types of cargo from thousands of suppliers through 41 major depots around the continental United States, including Alaska, and Canada.

The key north-south rail link is flowing again, after the section between Milan and Basel had been closed for two weeks, but challenges remain, as terminals work to clear a huge container backlog.

Shippers are complaining and fearing a huge increase in US transportation costs. For those who keep informed of developments impacting this spike in prices, this should not have come as a shock. Further, the factors impacting the hikes are outside the control of the trucking industry.

US trucking capacity is tightening faster than anticipated in the electronic logging era, and some shippers say that is making it tougher and costlier to move freight as they navigate between higher costs and increasingly constrictive customer demands.

It has been two weeks since a deadly derailment closed a crucial northern Italian rail link, creating serious disruption to shippers using the ports of La Spezia and Genoa.

The French government will grant $73 million to the rail freight sector to upgrade its ailing siding infrastructure.

Russia would like more cargo containers transported by rail in the years ahead.

The ocean carriers’ long-standing determination to retain the business of large retailers and other large trans-Pacific importers, even if it means accepting marginally profitable or even loss making cargo, is slamming head on into the reality of the US trucking market.

Harbor truckers across the United States are increasing their drayage rates for beneficial cargo owners and shipping lines, due to increased driver and staff costs, driver shortages, congested marine terminals, and the electronic logging device requirement.

As the electronic logging era begins, Echo Global Logistics warns shippers transit times are getting longer and costs are rising in shorter trucking lanes.

Experts argue shippers, truckers, and forwarders are paying the price and the European Union is putting its economic growth at risk because of inadequate spending on transport and digital infrastructure.

DP World is ramping up its inland logistics offerings in India, as supply chain efficiency combined with cargo visibility is seen as a critical growth factor in the emerging Asian economy.

Chinese shippers of fresh produce to Russia may soon have a cheaper option for transporting products to the Moscow markets as rail freight enters the picture.

US spot market truck rates are receding from January peaks, but not by much, and shippers should not take too much consolation in the dip: spring is coming.

The new facility near the El Paso International Airport will serve shippers in what is called “the Borderplex” — a manufacturing region stretching out from the cities of El Paso, Texas and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.

The improving economies of Central Asia are pushing up demand for rail freight across Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan.

US surface transportation rates are rising, sometimes by double digits, and shippers find themselves caught between paying for higher transportation costs or imperiling customer service.

National drayage company adds third company in its drive to expand through organic growth and acquisitions.

Prince Rupert, Vancouver, Canadian National Railway, and Canadian Pacific Railway are expanding their assets and capacity to prepare for the peak season of 2018 after a troublesome peak last year.