To own or not to own assets: that is the question facing third-party logistics and transport operators in a world where the supply and cost of shipping capacity, on land at least, is increasingly uncertain. XPO Logistics believes it has an answer: Do both.

The 28 percent drop in retail diesel fuel prices in the second quarter cut shipper transportation expenses and boosted trucking profits, with the publicly owned motor carriers tracked by JOC.com increasing their combined operating profit by 13 percent. Higher sustainable profits in turn fuel the expansion of capacity needed by shippers.

Veteran transportation executive Hank Bartos will temporarily run Con-way Truckload as Con-way seeks a permanent candidate to run the $632 million carrier.

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

Truckload operators are increasingly willing to pay more to secure the truck drivers needed to deliver trucking capacity to shipper customers.

Trucking companies looking for new ways to attract hard-to-hire drivers are rethinking how they “spec” or order trucks.

Con-way reported net income in the fourth quarter of 2013 was $11.7 million, slipping 0.9 percent year-over-year from $11.8 million...

Con-way reported its net income in the second quarter of 2013 was $42.9 million, improving from $41.8 million in the second quarter of 2012.

Con-way Truckload has purchased 525 new tractors in a replacement cycle that will maintain the full truckload carrier’s 2,700 tractor fleet.

Two Con-way Inc.

The much-reported truck driver shortage is not an immediate crisis for trucking companies and shippers, but they need to act decisively now to counter long-term trends that will tighten the supply of available drivers over the next decade.

Con-way’s net profit dropped 13.1 percent to $25.3 million in the third quarter thanks to lower freight volumes, as well